Harris shakes up leadership of Columbus schools

Friday

Jul 20, 2012 at 12:01 AMJul 20, 2012 at 9:37 AM

Columbus Schools Superintendent Gene Harris will shake up her top staff, in part to cover for reassignments resulting from a state investigation into whether district officials rigged school performance data.

Bill Bush, The Columbus Dispatch

Columbus Schools Superintendent Gene Harris will shake up her top staff, in part to cover for reassignments resulting from a state investigation into whether district officials rigged school performance data.

In a memo dated Monday, Harris said she would again name the district’s former lobbyist to a major leadership role.

With the departure of former Chief Academic Officer Keith Bell to become superintendent of Euclid schools, Harris will promote the district’s chief operating officer, John Stanford, to the new post of deputy superintendent. Stanford also will continue to lead operations — such as transportation, purchasing and food services — even as the curriculum and student-support side of the administration begins reporting to him.

Stanford was the district’s lobbyist before leaving to join the administration of then-Gov. Ted Strickland. He returned to the district last year to lead operations while Bell led academic initiatives.

Also, Harris told the school board she would establish a new position to oversee her “regional executive directors,” who themselves oversee groups of school principals. That move comes after Harris recently assigned one regional executive — Michael Dodds — to stay home pending the outcome of a state audit into allegations of massive manipulation of district performance data.

Harris will appoint another of her regional executives, Darryl Sanders, to fill the new post. Sanders will report directly to Harris.

Harris informed the board that a recently hired administrator had decided to pass on the job, despite the school board already having approved her appointment at a meeting on June 5. Sandra Thomas was to head the district’s Student Support Services, in charge of all special-needs students. She was to begin this month at an annual salary of $128,551, after leaving a similar post in Joliet, Ill.

“Dr. Thomas has decided to remain at her current district,” Harris’ memo said.

Thomas couldn’t be reached. She had attended the June 5 meeting with a large group of family members to accept the job.

Harris also notified the board that she would temporarily fill the jobs of Dodds and Steve Tankovich, who headed the district’s data-gathering operation for the state report card. Harris reassigned Tankovich pending the outcome of the state investigation.